Celebrating History: Christopher Columbus

By Alicia Cruz
Senior writer
Theblackurbantimes

Christopher Columbus (1451 – 20 May 1506).

Navigator and explorer Christopher Columbus (Cristóbal Colón en espanol) sailed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to the discovery of European American continents in the Western Hemisphere. History informs us that Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy a seaport city in northern Italy.

Columbus's 1492 voyage came at a critical time of national imperialism growth and economic competition between developing nations seeking wealth from the establishment of trade routes and colonies.

His idea roused the attention and funding of Isabella I of Castile (April 22, 1451 – November 26, 1504). Castile was Queen of Castile and León, Spain. Having underestimated the circumference of the Earth, Columbus mistakenly mapped a westward route from Iberia to the Indies assuming it to be shorter and more direct route through Arabia. This is believed to be the reason Columbus did not reach the "New World" ahead of his predessors.
There are four countries which form the Iberian Peninsula: Spain, Portugal, Andorra and Gibraltar.

Despite earlier teachings, Columbus was not the first to reach the Americas from Europe. A group named the Norse, led by Leif Ericson, erected a temporary settlement 500 years earlier at L'Anse aux Meadows.Sir Columbus actually initiated contact between Europeans in the "new world" and Americans.

The term "pre-Columbian" is used to refer to the people and cultures of the Americas before the arrival of Columbus.The anniversary of Columbus's 1492 voyage of discovery and landing is observed as Columbus Day on October 12 in Spain. Columbus Day is now officially observed on the second Monday in October in the U.S.